Judge sentences Dowagiac resident to six months

A night of heavy drinking and questionable decision-making has resulted in a Dowagiac man spending the next six months in Cass County jail.

Michael Lester Hodge, 45, of Dowagiac, was sentenced to 180 days in jail and two years of probation on Friday by Judge Michael Dodge for operating a vehicle while intoxicated and for illegal entry. Hodge pleaded guilty to the charges on Aug. 4.

According to remarks delivered by the judge, Hodge was arrested during the late night hours of April 30, after police received a complaint from Dowagiac resident Vance Brown, who claimed that a man was loitering around his front porch of his home on Ashland Street. Police used the information Brown provided them to identify the vehicle the man was driving, and tracked it down at the intersection of Jefferson and Henry streets, discovering Hodge behind the wheel.

“After stopped the vehicle, they discovered that you were highly intoxicated,” Dodge said. “You failed the field sobriety test; though you refused to take the portable breath test, you were arrested for operating while intoxicated. A later breathalyzer test revealed that you had a .14 to .15 blood alcohol level.”

In his statements to the judge, Prosecutor Victor Fitz mentioned that Hodge’s erratic behavior that night may have been the result of personal issues he and his family were going through. However, his reckless behavior still mandated a stint behind bars, the prosecutor argued.

“Public safety is more important than Mr. Hodge’s pity party,” Fitz said.

As this was Hodge’s third drunk driving offense, his attorney, James Miller, suggested the court find a way to help prevent his client from reoffending in the future without placing him inside a jail cell.

“My client admits he has an alcohol problem, and we would benefit from a program to treat it,” Miller said. “I think that’s the first step to resolving his abuse issue.”

Speaking on his own behalf, Hodge asked for leniency from the judge, but was prepared to accept whatever punishment was handed down, he said.

“There were a lot of things going on in my life then, but I understand those things are not an excuse or justification for me to drink and drive,” he said.

Hodge was given 18 days credit for time already served.